Summer reading, challenging but fun

This is Ryan Shehab’s first year at the bowling event. He attends Westminster Preschool.

Info Box: Mt. Lebanon Lanes

Learn-to-Bowl is available at AMF Mt. Lebanon Lanes at 10:30 a.m. every Saturday. Sessions for adults and kids begin every 10 weeks. Bowling etiquette and the history of bowling is included.

Students heading to college can bowl for scholarship money. Bowling instruction is provided by a certified instructor. Visit Mt. Lebanon Lanes for details.

Reading is fundamental. One mission as adults is to positively impact the lives of young people. Beginning with bedtime stories for babies and toddlers, children can be motivated at an early age to discover not only the joys of reading but the value of learning through books.

To encourage reading, local libraries have continued to meet the demands of society. For more than 40 years, the Upper St. Clair Township Library has offered summer reading classes and special events. Among them are: Reading Together, for babies through kindergarteners; and Art in the Park, filled with creativity and a few surprises; to Fossil Fun and Teen Read, which are encouraging and fun-filled. Kids sign up to read and keep a log to track their reading.

“We want kids to read books that they like during the summer. When our youth are interested and excited by what they read, they will read more and are more likely to read through the school year,” said Debra Conn, head of children and youth services at USC Library.

It’s been 12 years since AMF Mt. Lebanon Lanes initiated the Book & Bowl program at libraries in the South Hills. As an incentive to encourage participation in their summer reading programs, Upper St. Clair, Bethel Park, Bridgeville, Castle Shannon, Dormont and Mt. Lebanon libraries have once more teamed up with AMF Mt. Lebanon to offer a free but challenging experience to their readers. Those completing the summer reading programs enjoy free bowling and shoe rental and a free bowling event.

For the fourth year at the USC library, kids who read 10 books and teens who read five books, during a designated time period, received a coupon for free bowling at a time of their choice. In addition, last week all summer readers at the library and their parents were invited to an afternoon of free bowling. This summer, more than 400 kids read enough books to qualify for free bowling.

“Participation in Books & Bowl has grown about 8 percent each year,” said Lyn Feild, sales/league coordinator and creator of the program at AMF Mt. Lebanon Lanes. “We expect a couple thousand bowlers this year.”

By picking books that pique their interest during summer reading, children are removed from the anxiety and pressures of classroom reading. Through Books & Bowl, kids enjoy rewarding reading experiences and a fun afternoon with friends.